By Nadia Ntiamoah
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has announced an immediate suspension of the accreditation of new General Nursing programmes at both diploma and bachelor’s degree levels, citing regulatory authority and national human resource development considerations.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and signed by the Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Jinapor, the Commission said the decision was taken in line with its mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
According to the statement, the suspension applies to all tertiary education institutions across the country and takes effect immediately.
“The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, acting in accordance with its regulatory and accreditation mandates under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), and guided by national human resource development priorities, hereby announces a suspension on the accreditation of new General Nursing programmes at both diploma and bachelor’s degree levels,” the statement said.
GTEC further directed that it will neither receive, process, nor consider any new applications for General Nursing programmes until further notice. Heads of all tertiary institutions were formally notified of the decision, with copies sent to the Ministers of Education and Health, the Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, directors and heads of accreditation, compliance, traditional public universities, technical universities, and colleges under the Commission.
The move comes against the backdrop of growing concerns about the alignment of tertiary education outputs with national workforce needs, particularly within the health sector.
Over the years, the proliferation of General Nursing programmes has led to concerns about oversupply in some areas, while critical specialised nursing fields remain understaffed.
While placing a freeze on new General Nursing programmes, GTEC encouraged institutions seeking to expand their health-related academic offerings to redirect their focus toward specialised and undersubscribed nursing disciplines that address identified gaps in the healthcare system.
The Commission specifically identified Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Paediatric Nursing, Oncology Nursing, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Geriatric Nursing, Nephrology Nursing, and Anaesthesia Nursing as priority areas.
According to GTEC, these specialised programmes are more closely aligned with national healthcare demands and are therefore more likely to receive favourable regulatory consideration.
“These specialised fields align with national workforce gaps and are therefore more likely to receive favourable regulatory consideration,” the statement noted.
